1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ironing board having a top resting on a frame supported by at least two legs arranged in the shape of an X, the two legs being connected to one another by a pivot linkage at a midpoint of their length, and more particularly relates to an ironing board in which one of the legs is divided into two parts joined to one another by a joint allowing, when the legs are aligned lengthwise with the top, the pivoting of a lower segment of the leg from an unfolded position, in which the lower segment is disposed in the extension of an upper segment of the first leg, to a folded position in which the lower segment is folded over the upper segment.
2. Prior Art
European Patent no. 1 536 055 discloses an ironing board having a top resting on a frame supported by two legs arranged in the shape of an X, the two legs being connected to one another by a pivot linkage at a midpoint of their length, the two legs being in two parts and comprising a joint permitting the pivoting of a lower segment from an unfolded position, in which the lower segment is arranged in the extension of an upper segment of the first leg, to a folded position, in which the lower segment is folded over the upper segment.
Such an ironing board has the advantage of being highly compact.
However, such an ironing board has the disadvantage of not being ergonomic to use, in particular because the user must turn the ironing board over with the top resting flat on the floor in order to be able to fold or unfold the two legs. Such a maneuver is extremely inconvenient and may require considerable muscular effort that is beyond the ability of weaker individuals.
Hence an object of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantages by proposing a compact ironing board with good ergonomics and which is easily and cost-effectively implemented. Another object of the present invention is to propose an ironing board with high stability for greater operational safety.
To this end, the subject of the invention is an ironing board comprising a frame supporting a top and at least two legs joined to the frame, one of the legs having an upper end pivotably mounted on a back end of the frame, the other leg having an upper end slidably mounted on the frame, wherein the two legs are connected to one another by a pivot linkage at a midpoint of their length and are movable between a storage position, in which the legs are arranged essentially parallel to the top, and a working position, in which the legs are arranged in the shape of an X, wherein one of the legs, the so-called first leg, is divided into two parts joined to one another by a joint allowing, when the legs are in the storage position, the pivoting of a lower segment of the first leg from an unfolded position, in which the lower segment is disposed in the extension of an upper segment of the first leg, to a folded position, in which the lower segment is folded over the upper segment, characterized in that the other leg, the so-called second leg, is in one piece and in that the lower end of the second leg reaches the back end of the frame when the first and second legs are in the storage position.
The advantage of such a characteristic resides in the fact that it is thus possible to obtain a compact ironing board that is easily folded and unfolded, wherein the ironing board can be stood more or less upright on its second leg in order to fold or unfold the upper segment of the first leg when the legs are in the storage position.
The folding and unfolding of the ironing board is thus achieved by a simple maneuver, in which the second leg remains resting on the floor so that the user does not have to support the weight of the ironing board.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the joint has means for securing the lower segment in the unfolded position.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the securing means comprise a device for locking the lower segment in the unfolded position and at least one unlocking button for deactivating the locking device.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the joint has two unlocking buttons disposed on two opposite surfaces of the joint.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the joint has a rotation axis which is offset to the periphery of the leg.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the first leg has an upper end pivotably mounted near an end of the frame.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the top has a back end that is situated on the side of the frame receiving the upper end of the first leg, wherein the top is wider in the vicinity of its back end than in the vicinity of its front end.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the top has a main part slidably mounted on the frame and at least one foldable part joined to the main part by hinges, wherein the foldable part is movable between a working position, in which it is disposed in the extension of the main part, and a storage position, in which it is folded over the main part.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the foldable part is a back part of the top.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the frame supports an iron rest that is linearly movable on the frame between a working position, in which the iron rest is arranged next to the foldable back part of the top in the working position, and a storage position, in which the foldable back part and the main part of the top are at least partly disposed under or on the iron rest.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the second leg comprises an upper end that is pivotably and slidably mounted on the frame.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the upper end of the second leg is mounted so that it is linearly movable along a guide track borne by the frame.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the first leg and the second leg each have a lower end equipped with a cross member extending transversely to the top, the cross members having essentially the same width as the overall width of the top.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the cross member of the second leg has casters.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the ironing board has a platform supported on a framework comprising a longitudinal end mounted pivotably about an axis borne by the upper segment of the first leg, between the pivot linkage and the joint.
According to still another characteristic of the invention, the length of the first leg is greater than the length of the frame.